What’s Chanhappenin’ This Week
⛅ Weather: Sunny and warm early in the week, with rain chances rising by Friday and a cooler weekend ahead
❓Trivia: What does Minnewashta mean?
📰 Community News: Downtown development, Community Center, & Avienda
⛪ St. Hubert Church: A major step forward
🗓️ This Week in Chanhassen: Avienda open house, community day, & more
🚨 New Business Alert: Gas station tacos?
📜 A Little Bit of History: Camp Tanadoona
📷 Historic Photo: Camp Tanadoona cabins
🎁 Refer Neighbors: Get paid!
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Hey Chanhassen! This one's packed — construction is kicking off on the new Community Center this month, we found a taco spot hiding inside a gas station that's absolutely worth your next fill-up, and there's real movement on Old St. Hubert's. Plus a look back at Camp Tanadoona and more. Here's What's Chanhappenin'.
What does "Minnewashta" — the lake behind one of Chanhassen's most popular regional parks — mean in the Dakota language?
Scroll down for the answer
Avienda Rendering - City of Chanhassen
Avienda Concept Gets a Refresh Ahead of the Aug 13 Open House · The development team brought an updated concept to the City Council on July 8, adding a stronger central gathering area near a planned stormwater pond and a proposed entertainment and food district with public restrooms and outdoor seating. The plan now includes a 65,000-square-foot grocery store, and a previously discussed car wash may be getting cut from the central area. Council was generally positive but wants more work on making the site feel walkable — you can weigh in yourself at the open house.
Downtown Redevelopment: Target Dates for Harlow & Bennett · Harlow, the smaller of the two new mixed-use buildings going up at 78th and Market, is on track to open in December 2026 with 126 apartments and about 3,000 square feet of retail space. Its larger neighbor, Bennett, follows in September 2027 with 184 apartments and roughly 11,850 square feet of retail. Together they'll add close to 310 apartments and five new commercial storefronts to downtown, plus new public parking.
Community Center: Construction Starts This Month, Timeline Shifts · The city's new Community Center now has a guaranteed maximum price of $81,923,481, and construction is set to begin this August with substantial completion targeted for summer 2028. One trade-off worth knowing: the building will no longer be ready in time for May 2028 graduation ceremonies, though it's still on track for the 2028 hockey season.
Old St. Hubert's — A Major Step Forward
After 8 weeks of negotiation, the Save Old St. Hubert Committee and St. Hubert Parish have reached agreement on a Letter of Understanding — a formal document spelling out who can use the historic church, and how, going forward. It's now ready for signature.
Once signed, it clears the way for the real next step: a feasibility study. That study will involve one-on-one conversations with prospective donors to gauge support for the $1.5 million needed to restore the building — and if that goes well, a follow-up push for an additional $1 million endowment to cover ongoing operating costs once it reopens.
This is the third step in the committee's plan to hold a genuine community-wide conversation about the church's future, following an earlier meeting with community leaders and a follow-up session that drew nearly 100 residents this summer. We'll keep you posted as the process continues.
Happenin’ This Week
Avienda Development — Community Open House · Thursday August 13 · 4:30–6:30 PM · City Hall, First Floor Training Room · The Avienda developer is hosting an open house for anyone interested in learning more about the development plans. Short presentations from the development team will run at 4:40 and 5:40, with time for questions after each — same presentation both times, so come whenever works for your schedule.
Community Day at the Chanhassen Recreation Center · Saturday August 15 · 9:00AM–12:00PM · Chanhassen Recreation Center · Sample classes, meet staff and instructors, tour the Rec Center, and connect with local partner organizations including the Chanhassen Library, Fire Department, Public Works, Senior Center, and Carver County Sheriff's Office. A great way to see what the Rec Center has to offer before fall programming kicks off. · chanhassenmn.gov
Pizza Nights at the Farm · Tuesdays through September 1st · 5:00–8:00PM · Minnesota Landscape Arboretum · Chef Beth Fisher crafts pre-ordered pizzas with farm-fresh vegetables, greens, and herbs while you relax on the Farm lawns or play yard games. Live music included. Get tickets
Happenin’ Soon
Pop-Up Splash Pad Party · Tuesday August 18 · 5:30–7:30 PM · Market Square Shopping Center · Free · A family-friendly evening downtown with water-themed fun and summer activities. Part of the city's Downtown Summer Lineup, supporting local Market Square businesses during the Market Boulevard Improvement Project construction — a great excuse to cool off, shop local, and grab dinner downtown while you're at it.
Cars & Caves — British Car Show · Saturday August 29 · 9:00AM–12:00PM · Chanhassen AutoPlex · Free · This month's theme celebrates British marques — MG, Mini, Aston Martin, Jaguar, and McLaren — alongside the usual mix of classic, custom, and exotic vehicles. Explore the AutoPlex's famous garage "Caves" while you're there. Donations benefit a featured local charity. · chanhassenautoplex.com
Tacos La Catrina
There's a new reason to swing by the BP gas station on Century Blvd — Tacos La Catrina has been quietly serving up street tacos, birria, quesabirria, burritos, and quesadillas out of the gas station for the past couple months, and it's already picking up buzz on TikTok from Minnesota food reviewers. Family owned, with a growing list of near-perfect reviews and a menu built for the birria-obsessed. They also cater private events if you want it at your next party.
📍 7755 Century Blvd, Chanhassen
📞 (952) 992-0952
🕐 Sun 11am–5pm · Mon–Sat 10am–7pm
Good water — from the Dakota words minne (water) and washta (good), a fitting name for one of the clearest lakes in Carver County.
1924 — Camp Tanadoona's story actually starts with a Minnesota governor. In 1902, John Lind — Minnesota's 14th governor — bought land on Lake Minnewashta for a summer home. Two decades later, the Minneapolis Camp Fire Girls acquired the property, mansion included, and opened a girls' summer camp there that August. They found the name in the Camp Fire Girls' own naming guide: "Tanadoona," meaning "lives out of doors." Back then, the trip from Minneapolis was a long journey into the wilderness — today the camp's 103 acres sit surrounded by the city of Chanhassen, with Governor Lind's original mansion still standing among the camp buildings. A century later (and after rebranding to Camp Fire Minnesota in 2022, just two years shy of its 100th birthday), kids are still canoeing, doing archery, and gathering around the campfire on the same shoreline.
Source: Camp Fire Girls Camp Histories archive; Camp Fire Minnesota
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